RESTING METABOLIC-RATE IN WOMEN WITH BULIMIA-NERVOSA - A CROSS-SECTIONAL AND TREATMENT STUDY

Two studies on resting metabolic rate (RMR) in bulimia nervosa were co nducted. The first study compared RMR before treatment in 25 normal-we ight women with bulimia nervosa and 20 control subjects of similar hei ght, weight, body composition, age, and activity level. No significant difference in RMR adjusted for fat-free weight was observed. The seco nd study sought to determine whether RMR in women with bulimia nervosa changed if they ceased vomiting and resumed eating in a more normal f ashion after cognitive-behavioral treatment. There was no differential change in RMR from pre- to posttreatment for the ''improved'' bulimic s (9 of 12 subjects who received treatment) relative to 13 control sub jects who were also tested twice at the same time intervals as the tre ated bulimia nervosa subjects. These findings do not support the hypot hesis that normal-weight women with bulimia nervosa have a suppressed RMR, nor is it altered with treatment compared with matched control su bjects.